The HCOS Weekly New Year's Special Edition ness, eh? ;)
It’s really not that hard to figure out what qualities we should work on to become a better friend. God gave us a list of qualities we should live by in Galatians 5:22-23, which says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Everything I touch on in this article is based on this passage, as you will see, so let’s proceed. 1. Be genuine and kind. Being genuine and kind are two very important traits people look for in friends. Admit it, no one likes snobby people who are condescending and sarcastic (or anything of the sorts). That’s completely uncool. If your friend is like that, BY NO MEANS retort with the same attitude. Kill ‘em with kind-
your friends’ views and opinions, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is when you disrespect their opinions, and condemn or judge them for it just because they don’t agree with you. Never EVER try shoving your opinion down people’s throats. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions and we should respect that. They may never change, so just pray for them, be supportive where you can and accept them for who they are.
2. Be humble and forgiving. It’s easier said than done, but it’s SUPER vital to a strong friendship. When you go through thick and thin, you’re bound to run into some kind of conflict. Always try to be humble, acknowledge where you are wrong, and apologize sincerely. No one likes friends who hold grudges and remember every single little incident when people have wronged them. Never let your ego prevent you from repairing a 6. Be an energy giver. friendship. There are four types of people: a) energy givers – optimistic, 3. Be patient. cheerful people who can put a Patience is one of the most impor- smile on a sad face. tant qualities we should all work b) energy drainers – pessimistic, on. Being a patient person not only self-centered people who suck all reduces conflict, it’s also a building of the happy out of every poor soul block that constructs a feeling of who tries to cheer them up. security and trust. You can never c) energy hoarders – those who go wrong with having lots of pa- only take and never give, and are tience! always needy. d) energy time bombs – those who 4. Listen. keep to themselves, but when they Something about having a friend do open up, it’s the last straw, and who’s a great listener is extremely WWIII is about to break out. comforting, even if they don’t always know what to say. There’s It’s quite self-explanatory why we just this sense of freedom people should all try to be energy givers. feel after they’ve spilled their And no, I don’t mean being happyhearts out, so definitely lend an go-lucky or overly optimistic about ear when you can. An important everything! I’m talking about lookthing to remember is that if people ing at life realistically, yet having a trust you enough to open up to you positive outlook. If you’ve encounand tell you personal things, use tered type b, c or d, you’d know your common sense. Don't tell oth- that they are dangerous types to er people about it without permis- be around, and are not good friend sion. material. You can never be sure if your day will be ruined in an in5. Be supportive and accepting. stant. Terrible feeling, isn’t it? ConYou may not always agree with clusion: Be an energy giver.